Garment clasp or supporter.



' PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. M. B. GARDNER.

GARMENT GLASP 0R SUPPORTER. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 28, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARSHALL B. GARDNER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO S. FLORSHEIM &SON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A FIRM.

GARMENT CLASP OR SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed April 28, 1905. Serial No. 257.928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSHALL B. GARD- NER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment Clasps orSupporters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of garment-clasps in which a singlethickness or fold of the fabric passed over the head of a button isclamped or clasped upon the shank of the button by a clamp or claspmember.

Ordinarily the button is connected with the elastic webbing by means ofa flexible i11- elastic web-section, and the clasp is in the form of apear-shaped loop, the wider part of the opening in the loop being at itsbase, and the clamping is effected by the closed end of the loop drawingthe fabric under the head of the button and into contact with its shank.In some cases the sides of the loop are so narrow at its forward end asto also clamp the fabric against the sides of the shank. Rubber buttonsor buttons having a metal shank and a rubber covering are extensivelyemployed in this class of devices, the rubber preventing the slipping ofthe fabric and also, to some extent, preventing its being cut by theloop or clasp member.

There are certain objections to the known devices arising out of theflexibility of the button-support and also to the somewhat severe gripor bite of the loop upon the fabric. It is suflicient in a device ofthis kind to hold the fabric with only sufficient grip to prevent itsslipping upon the rubber or rubber-covered button, provided that thebuttonitself is firmly held against movement longitudinally of the loop.There is also a tendency with the forms of supporters in use to becomedetached or unfastened,because of the absence of any provision forholding the parts of the clamping members against movement lengthwise ofeach other, the locking of the clasp being due only to the pull of theloop upon the shank under the head of the button.

In my construction I avoid the difficulties above mentioned and providea garmentclasp of simple and economical construction in which the fabricis securely held without injury.

The structural features of my improvements may be somewhat varied; but Ihave shown in the accompanying drawings an eflicient embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my supporter connected to apiece of webbing having the usual slide. Fig. 2 is an edge view of thesupporter with a single thickness of fabric engaged thereby. Fig. 3 isan edge view of the button member of the clasp, the other parts beingshown in vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a planview of the supporter with the clamp ing-jaws open. Fig. 5 is atransverse section through the supporter below the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.Fig. 6 is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 4, but with the buttonmember thrown back. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the base-plate forsupporting the clamping-jaws. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the buttonmember, and Fig. 9 shows the clamping-jaws in plan and edge view.

In the drawings, 10 represents the ordinary webbing, having theadjustable slide 11 thereon and carrying the usual loop 1.2 to supportthe clasp. The latter comprises, first,'the button member shown in Fig.8 and consisting of a metal tongue or body 13, having hook members 14,which engage the bottom bar of the loop 12, so that the button member ishinged or pivoted to the loop. Formed with or secured to the bottom barof the loop is the base-plate 15, Fig. 7, having its outer end somewhatenlarged and rovided with an aperture or perforation 16 of a size toadmit the head of the button 17. The body of the plate 15 is perforated,as shown at 15*, to receive the pivot-lugs 18 of the clamping-jaws 19.These latter are simply metal plates and may be of the form shown inFig. 9, their forward ends being curved outwardly, so as to provide anopening between them approximately equal to the diameter of the shank,but of less width than the head of the button. The inner ends of theseplates may be slightly crimped upwardly, as shown at 20, and theirextremities may diverge to provide the cam-surfaces 21. By means of thepivot-lugs 18 these clamping-jaws are pivotally confined upon the plate13, so that their forward ends may be opened or closed, this opening orclosing movement being effected by means of the slide 22, whose exposedsurface may be knurled or roughened to facilitate its manipulation. Thisslide embraces the edges of the plate 15 and overlies the clampingmembers 19.

In operation the button member will be thrown back into the positionshown in Fig. 6 and a part of the fabric interposed between the head ofthe button and the opening 16 in the plate 15. By then simply closingthe parts upon each other'the fabric will be carried by the head of thebutton through the aperture 16, and the button-head will project abovethe surface of the clamping-jaws, as seen in Fig. 2. Then by pushing theslide toward the button the clamping-jaws are rocked upon their pivots,closing upon the fabric against the sides of the button-shank. In thismovement the slide passes outwardly beyond the pivots of theclamping-jaws, so that the latter are locked in their closed position.Further, the button being held rigidly longitudinally of the clamping-jaws, it is impossible for the parts to become separated, except by theopening of the jaws. accomplished by pulling the slide back to itsnormal position, in which it will pass inwardly beyond the pivots andacting upon the cam-surfaces 21 will forcibly open the jaws of theclamp, when the button may be separated and the fabric released by apull on the latter. To facilitate this opening movement, I prefer toprovide the plate 1.5 with a downwardly-bent spring-tongue 23, whichwill bear upon the base of the buttonplate 13.

I claim as my invention 1. In a garment-clasp, the combination with arigidly-supported button member, of a clamping member, comprising abase-plate, j aws pivoted thereon and an operating member adapted toengage the jaws at either side This is of their pivot whereby topositively open or close them upon the button.

2. In a garmentclasp,the combination with a rigidly-supported button,the support being hinged, of a pair of clamping-jaws, a base-plate uponwhich said jaws are pivoted between their ends, and means for operatingsaid jaws to bring them into lateral clamping relation to the button.

3. In a garmentclasp, the combination with arigid button-support, abase-plate having a button-aperture, a pair of clampingjaws pivotallymounted on the base-plate, and a slide cooperating with said jaws forbringing them into and out of locking relation to the button,substantially as-described.

4. In a garment-clasp, the combination with a button-support hinged atone end and carrying a button on its opposite end, a baseplate having abutton-aperture adapted to receive the button, clamping-jaws pivotedbetween their ends on the base-plate and having their forward endsconstructed to provide clamps, and means for opening and closing saidjaws, said means serving to hold the jaws in the closed position,substantially as described.

5. In a garment-clasp, the combination with the button member, thebase-plate and the pivoted clamping-jaws, of a slide embracing thebase-plate and aws and movable along the latter across the pivot wherebyto partially open and close the jaws, substantially as described.

MARSHALL B. GARDNER.

Witnesses:

FR DERICK C. GooDwIN, JAMES R. OFFIELD.

